The Making of the Adelei Shawl

One of the first things I wanted to incorporate into this shawl was a unique “spine” increase. I love the look of faggoting (though I really hate the word!), so decided to incorporate it as the spine.

The first shawl I made with the lace I wanted and the spines that I wanted was a triangle shawl. I wasn’t terribly pleased with the deep triangle though since I like to wear shawls more like scarves. I really loved how the point of the lace turned out, but I wanted something longer in the wingspan and more shallow. (This one was made with Knit Picks Palette in Blush)

In my search to change the shape, I was inspired by Westknits’ Pogona. This shape seemed perfect for showing off the parts of the lace that I really loved. Then came the math… why didn’t I pay more attention in calculus?!

This was also my first attempt in using beads. I used size 6/0 iridescent seed beads for this project because I wanted just a little bit of sparkle without it being over the top. Since I didn’t have a crochet hook small enough for my beads, nor did I want to pre-string my beads and figure out that whole thing, I used a small piece of wire to apply my beads. Both the crochet hook and wire application methods are demonstrated in this video.

The lace pattern is fairly simple. A lot of the wrong side rows are simply purled, though there are some rows that have a mix of knits and purls. The pattern contains full written instructions as well as charts. I used one skein, and all but 20 yds (420 yd total), of Malabrigo Sock Yarn in Ochre. Approximately 340 size 6/0 seeds beads optional. It has a wingspan of 52”/132cm measured along the edge stitches, and is 15.5”/40cm long from cast-on to bind-off edges.

The Adelei Shawl is available for $5, or click the button to purchase the PDF directly via PayPal.